Paulo Costa sends a bold warning to Khamzat Chimaev amid Jiri Prochazka fight rumors for UFC 332

Paulo Costa has sent a warning to one of his fiercest longtime rivals, former UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev. 

Costa's jibe at "Borz" comes at a time when they've both been linked to a potential interim UFC light heavyweight championship match at UFC 332.

Alternatively, speculation has abounded that Costa or Chimaev could fight former UFC light heavyweight kingpin Jiri Prochazka for the interim title at UFC 332. 

Paulo Costa's fast track to the top at light heavyweight; UFC light heavyweight champion Carlos Ulberg's injury hiatus

Paulo Costa has made a mark in his new stomping grounds, which is the UFC light heavyweight division. "The Eraser," in his light heavyweight divisional debut, suffered a unanimous decision defeat against Marvin Vettori in 2021. 

That fight -- initially booked as a middleweight bout -- was agreed to be contested at 205 pounds because of Costa's struggles on the weighing scales. Regardless, after going 2-2 in his four ensuing fights, Costa moved up to the light heavyweight division for good. 

The Brazilian fan-favorite fighter's latest Octagon appearance saw him knock out the then-unbeaten Azamat Murzakanov at UFC 327 in April.

Meanwhile, New Zealand's Carlos Ulberg sustained a mid-fight knee injury in his knockout win over Jiri Prochazka in the main event of UFC 327. It earned Ulberg the vacant UFC light heavyweight belt, but he was also sidelined and hasn't been cleared to return from his injury as of yet. 

Paulo Costa warns that he'll end Khamzat Chimaev's hype amid interim UFC title talks for UFC 332

Many fans and experts have, since Paulo Costa's thrilling win over Azamat Murzakanov, been calling for the UFC to accord him an interim UFC light heavyweight championship fight, or a clash against a top contender at the very least. 

Costa, on his part, has been quite vocal about his wanting the UFC to book his next fight at the earliest. It'll mark the final fight of his current deal with the consensus world's premier MMA promotion. 

Furthermore, with Ulberg unable to defend his title owing to his injury issue, there were widespread rumors that the UFC could schedule an interim light heavyweight championship match this year. That potential matchup's winner would then face Ulberg in a title unifier, likely when he returns next year. 

Well, Paulo Costa has been relentless in his campaign for a shot at UFC gold, interim or otherwise. The three names primarily linked to a possible interim title clash in the division are namely Costa, Khamzat Chimaev (who's, contrarily, been associated with a UFC middleweight title rematch against Sean Strickland this December), and Jiri Prochazka. 

In an X post, Costa has affirmed that the next time he sets foot inside the Octagon should be for an interim UFC light heavyweight championship match. He wrote, "If I don't fight for the interim LHW belt next, it'll be a huge scr*w-up." 

If I don't fight for the interim LHW belt next, it'll be a huge screw-up.

— Paulo Costa (@BorrachinhaMMA) August 26, 2026

The 35-year-old also sent a bold warning to Chimaev -- who's considered to be one of the scariest grapplers and most violent fighters in all of MMA, his recent points defeat against Sean Strickland notwithstanding. 

Per an X post by Jay Senthilvelan, via Rueben Carter, the UFC has gotten in touch with Team Chimaev for him to face Costa in an interim championship match. The targeted fight was proposed as the headlining match of the UFC 332 event, which goes down in Salt Lake City, Utah, on October 3. 

Responding to that post, Costa directed the following warning to Chimaev, "If UFC do it you'll see the most abrupt collapse of a fighter's hype in history." 

Check out a screenshot of Paulo Costa's X post concerning Khamzat Chimaev below: